Mole-trap



(No Model.)

J. REEDER.

MOLE TRAP.

No. 353,502. Patented Nov. 30, 1886.

Mrs STATES JOHN REEDER, OF HAYNESVILLE, LOUISIANA.

MOLE

TRAP.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 353,502, dated November 30,1886.

Application filed September 1, 1886. Serial No. 212,406.

To all whom it may concern:

Beitknown that [,JOHN REEDER, of Haynesville, in the parish of Claiborne and State of Louisiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Hole-Traps; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use it, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in mole-traps; and it consists in the combination of the springs, the lever operated by the springs, a barbed block, a rod connected to the block, a support for the rod when in a raised position, .a catch under which the front end of the rod catches the trigger, and a rod which is connected to the outer end of the lever and which acts upon the trigger, all of which will be more fully described hereinafter.

The object of my invention is to provide an impalement-trap for moles, and which can be placed over the burrow of the moles so that when the operating lever is pushed up from below the barbs will. be forced downward upon the mole, so as to impale it.

Figure l is a side elevation of a trap embodying my invention, showing the differentparts in one position in solid lines and in an other position in dotted lines. Fig. 2 is a front View showing the barbs in a raised position.

A represents a suitable frame-work, which may either be constructed as here shown, or

in any other way that may be preferred, and which is intended to be placed upon the ground over the burrows of the moles. Pivoted in the bottom of this frame is the operating-lever B, which has a suitable amount of vertical play at its free end, for the purpose of forcing the rod 0, connected to it, upward against the trigger. Secured to the springs D at their front ends is the block E, which has a suitable number of barbs, I secured to its under side. The rear ends of the springs are rigidly fastened to the rear end of the frame, and allow the block to be raised upward for the purpose of having it set in position, and then force it downward with sufficient force to drive the barbs into the mole when it moves the lever B. There are (No model.)

two of these springs, which are placed side by side, and both of them unite in forcing the block downward. Loosely attached to the front edge of the block is the rod H, which, when the block is raised upward, has its front end to catch under the small hook I upon the crossbar J, upon the front end of the frame. In order to support this block and rod in a raised position, there is suspendedfrom the top portion of the frame a supporting-hook, L, which catches loosely under the rear end of the rod, as shown, for the purpose of supporting its rear end and preventing the springs from forcing the block downward until the trigger is operated.

Pivoted upon the crossbar J is thetrigger N, which is made to bear against that end of the rod which projects beyond the cross-bar at its upper end, and which has its lower end to bear against the rod 0, connected to the front end of the lever B. WVhen the lever B is forced upward by the mole, the triggeris turned upon its pivot, so that its upper end is made to force the outer end of the rod sidewise sufficiently far to release it from the hook, when the rod flies upward, and the block descends so as to force the barbs into the mole beneath.

Having thus described my invention, I claim- The combination ofthe movable rod B,placed in the bottom of the frame, and which is to be operated by the passage of the mole under the trap, the rod 0, which is operated by one end of the rod B, and the trigger which is placed upon the frame and operated by the upper end of the rod 0, with the spring-actuated block E, provided with prongs, the rod H, which is loosely connected to the block at one end, and which is made to engage with the trigger at the other, and the rod L, which is supported by the top of the machine, and which forms a support for the rod H, and block E, substantially as shown and described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN REEDER.

W'itnesses:

E. I-I.-McOLUREsoN, JNo. A. RICHARDSON. 

